1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and methods for measuring the quality of contact between two electrical conductors.
The invention is useful for quickly measuring the quality of electrical contact between assemblies of different electrically conductive metals, especially in certain chemoelectrical reactions where the electrical connections in question are not readily visible or otherwise accessible.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For example, the industrial production of chlorine and of sodium bicarbonate is described in KIRK OTHMER (ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY, Vol. 1, pages 806 et seq., 3rd edition, John Wiley). In the mercury process, the anodes comprise titanium wire grids which can reach one meter by three meters and which are reinforced by rods and crosspieces made of titanium soldered onto these grids in order to keep them perfectly planar. Screwed onto these crosspieces are copper rods which ensure the electrical junction with the rest of the electrolysis electrical circuit and also permit these anodes to be held in the sodium chloride solution several millimeters above the mercury.
If the quality of contact between the copper rod and the titanium crosspiece is not good, heating due to the Joule effect occurs which may even cause the copper-titanium junction to rupture mechanically as a result of fusion of the metals. This is why it is very important to be certain of the quality of contact between the copper and titanium before mounting the anodes in the electrolysis cells when the electrolysis cell is operative.
During an electrolysis operation, the junction between the copper rods and the titanium crosspieces is submerged in the sodium chloride solution; in addition, above this solution there is the chlorine which has formed on the surface of the titanium anodes. It is thus impossible to gain access to the copper-titanium junction to inspect the quality thereof.